Flying Freedom (Rewritten)
by Freedom of the Eagle
Summary: A young girl from Iceland descended from Vikings moves to Keystone, South Dakota, she does something nobody ever thought she could do and saves the life of a famed animal, and befriends him. What will become of her during this journey? No flames! Just a random story I thought up!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: How It All Came To Be

* * *

_A little girl rushed up to grab her mother's hand; her mother turned around and looked down at her daughter with soft, motherly brown eyes_

"_Yes sweetheart? What do you wish for me to get from the market?"_

"_Cookies! Chocolate chip! Gabe wants Oreos too!" Her mother smiled, took out a small slip of paper, and with a quick motion of her pen, the two new items were added_

"_There, I'll come back in about an hour with everything, then we can cook dinner after I come back."_

"_Okay mommy!" _

"_I'll see you soon, okay Kalei?"_

"_Bye bye mommy!" The little girl, Kalei, seven years old, scurried inside and was playfully scooped into the arms of her father and she giggled with excitement. After he put her down, he asked_

"_Did you tell mommy what you and Gabe wanted?" Kalei did a playful salute and nodded eagerly_

"_Yes sir!"_

"_That's my girl!" _

"_Dada! Dada!" Came a small voice from the floor, father and daughter looked down to see little Anna, and little indeed she was, she was just a two-year-old, and her little blonde pig-tails stuck out and bobbed as she toddled over to them_

"_Hello there princess." Her father said as he scooped her up and tickled her chubby belly, making her giggle endlessly. _

_Moments later, a little boy, no more than five years old, walked down the hallway, with his chubby hands on his ears and whined_

"_There are weasons I don't like having two sisters!" Kalei poked her brother in the belly_

"_Oh come on! You know you love us!" As she said this, the little boy, named Gabriel, or Gabe as his friends and family called him, tackled his older sister to the ground, and as their father bounced Anna on his knee, he flicked on their TV_

"_Now, now kids. Why don't we watch something reasonable?"_

"_Okay!" Both children said at once and scrambled up on the couch next to their father and were eager to watch another episode of __**Dragon Fliers**__. As they watched, the kids giggled as the main character, Markel was whacked upside the head from a tough female character named Jecani. As the kids went inside to grab a small snack, their father asked Kalei to put Anna to her nap and she did likewise. _

_When the kids were gone, he flipped to the news channel and watched for about five minutes when suddenly, a news report about a deadly car crash flew up on the screen._

_The woman, famous on the news said_

"_We have just received news about a deadly vehicle crash just south of the Krensha Shopping Center. Two drivers, one, a drunk, the other, a young woman were both involved, the young woman did not survive and died instantly."_

"_That poor woman, I feel sorry for her famil…" He trailed off when the woman continued_

"_The woman has been just identified as Abigail Becher." Mr. Becher went silent. Kalei walked into the TV room only to find her father burying his head in his hands_

"_Daddy? What's wrong?" The TV was turned off, and small gasps came from the overwhelmed father. The phone rang, and Kalei picked it up_

"_Hello? Hi gramma, yes it's me. What? O-okay, I'll get him. DADDY! IT'S GRAMMA! He's coming." Moments later, her father walked in, picked up the phone from his daughter and said_

"_Yes mom? I know I know. My god. I…hold on. Kalei, can you go play in your room for a while? I need to talk to gramma alone, okay?"_

"_Okay!" Kalei did what she was told and pulled out her Barbie dollhouse and it's occupants and played, hearing parts of the conversation_

"_How will I tell them?"-"I don't know. Okay, bye. Kids!" Instantly, the three, and Kalei holding Anna, walked up to their father and said_

"_Listen, Kalei, Aunt Vanessa is coming over to watch you for a while, I have something very important to take care of. I might not be back for a few days. Can you handle that?"_

"_Yes daddy." _

"_Good. Kalei, I'm counting on you, don't let your aunt or your siblings down okay?"_

"_I won't." Their father smiled and kissed their foreheads before walking out the door._

_ ~oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo~__  
_

_Kalei wore a black dress, black stockings, and black flats; she wore the necklace her mother had given her on her sixth birthday, the last birthday she would ever celebrate with her mother. Her mother was gone; a single drunk driver took the only mother she ever knew away from her, especially when she and her brother and sister needed her the most. Why did she have to go out shopping that one-day? Kalei burst into tears, she ran into a small room in the back of the Funeral Home, and sobbed_

"_W-w-why m-m-mommy? W-why did this h-have to h-h-happen to y-you?" Her sobbing could be heard from where her mothers body lay in her coffin, as people prayed for her._

_After a few long minutes. Before they closed the casket, Kalei ran to the coffin, and pulled something out of her bag, with a crowd watching, she placed a drawing of Kalei, her father, her brother and sister so she could remember them when she went to heaven on her chest_

"_Bye mommy, I hope you never forget us where you're going. I'm gonna miss you." Kalei planted a small kiss on her mother's forehead, the last time she would ever see her, until she went to heaven herself._

* * *

**Yes, it's pretty sad, I finally decided to rewrite this story. SO here's the prologue!**


	2. Chapter 1: Leaving It All Behind

Chapter 1: Leaving It All Behind

It wasn't a normal day in Iceland for a young girl named Kalei Becher. She and her two siblings had been living with their aunt, uncle and two cousins ever since their father left for the U.S to find a new job. But that had been three years ago and they still hadn't heard anything from their father or about his job if he had found one. Living on the volcanic island was okay, but in Kalei's eyes, she just wanted to see her father again.

It had been five year's since her mother died in a deadly car crash involving a drunk truck driver, Kalei was only seven at the time, her brother, the middle child, was five, and their youngest sister was two ½, and two years after her funeral, their father counted up his savings and explained to the family that he planned on moving to the U.S in hopes of finding a new job and a place to live, he added he would call when everything was ready, but as it was said before, that was three years ago, Kalei was now in her early teens, a fourteen-year-old, her brother Gabriel, or Gabe, as they called him, was ten, and their sister Anna was seven. They had been put in their aunt and uncle's custody after their father left and were still waiting for him to contact them. In addition, their father had taken all the furniture from their original house and took it to the States with him, the kids got their own rooms in their aunt's house, however, but it just didn't feel the same.

School was okay, and even though the crash was a while ago, friends at school still comforted her and kept her hopes up. This morning, though, felt different to her, she stood up from her bed and went to her deck, leaning on the railing, she let her long auburn brown hair loose from it's braid and allowed it to flow freely in the wind, down below, she watched a few seals slug their way up from shore, the pups were at their mother's side and yearlings went about playing with each other, she couldn't help but admit, she was jealous of some of the animals that had mothers.

After a few more sluggish minutes, she went back inside and read for a while, before the phone rang, but she didn't jump up like a jack-in-the-box like she used to, instead, she gave up on the fact that her father would ever get a job in the States, she heard Gabe' feet pound down the stairs to retrieve the phone. There was silence for a few seconds, before Anna burst into Kalei' room and squealed

"IT'S DAD! Come talk to him!"

"You're kidding me!" Kalei jumped off her bed and raced downstairs and yanked the phone away from Gabe

"Dad?"

"Hi sweetie!"

"Dad! Why did it take so long?"

"Because I didn't stay in New York, it just didn't work out there for me, instead, I moved to Keystone, South Dakota."

"Keystone, South Dakota? Where's that?" Kalei sat down at the Mac computer and pulled up a map of South Dakota

"Not bad, but where's the house?"

"Actually, I got something better than a normal house."

"And what might that be?"

"Well, let me explain first about my job, then I'll move on about the house. Okay, so two weeks after a I got to Keystone, I found a flier from the Ranger Station saying they needed new Rangers, so I signed up, and now, I'm an official Park Ranger!" Kalei never looked so happy in her entire life, "Dad, that's fantastic!"

"And not only that, but I work at a lodge nearby where I rented a small apartment, and the Ranger Station apparently is able to house people. Currently, there's another family with two boys living there, one' about your age, the other is about three year's older than him, and I get paid pretty well."

"Wow dad, I…I don't know what to say."

"I already moved your stuff into separate rooms for yourselves. Kalei, your room has a loft above, and I moved some more of your things up there too, there's also a spare computer up there as well." Kalei, Gabe, and Anna listened as their father explained everything about the Ranger Station, Keystone, the U.S, and shared a lot of cool information, and since Kalei was an animal freak, her father mentioned

"Also Kalei, since I know you love animals almost more than anything, there's multiple enclosures in the back of the Ranger Station, they are used mostly for injured animals and there are a multitude of injured ones here already, some may be recognizable, but other's you've never seen before."

"Fantastic dad! When do we leave?"

"As soon as you start packing, I'm eager to see you guys."

"Great!"

"In addition, you'll take a flight to Queens, New York, and then, you'll take another flight to Keystone. Good luck kids, and I can't wait to see you."

"You too dad." After the rest of the family chatted with him, everyone helped the three of them pack and get ready for their flight to Queens. Boy, was this going to be an adventure for her and her siblings, they couldn't be more than excited for this.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo~

The kids worked for two day's to get every little spare part packed up, Kalei said goodbye to her friends at school and they gave her things so she could stay in contact with them. And the last night she stayed in Iceland, the Northern Light's gave her a goodbye show, the sight was beautiful, and this could be the last time she may ever see them, of course, she could always visit, she knew that, but it just wouldn't be the same.

After some more goodbyes, their uncle drove them to the closest airport and asked a friendly flight attendant to accompany them on their flight, which they didn't mind at all.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo~

The flight lasted for several hours, Kalei made sure her brother and sister didn't fight and annoy the other passengers, and at the same time, she was doing research on the U.S and Keystone to see what she could find, and on one search, when looking up 'animals of South Dakota' one of the few first things that caught her eye was a link to a website that said 'Birds of South Dakota. Advice for bird-watching!' Curious to see where it would take her, Kalei clicked on the link and smiled when she saw pictures of different species of birds, but one such bird caught her eye. A Bald Eagle, the picture showed it standing proud on a dead tree, holding a large fish in it's talons, Kalei clicked on it, and immediately began to write notes. She was fascinated by what she saw

"This is amazing." She whispered. Closing her laptop, she put it away and fell asleep, waiting for the plane to land at their destination.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo~ 

When the pilot announced landing, Kalei woke up her siblings and began to put things away. After then entered the airport, Kalei saw things she had never seen before. After eating a quick snack, they boarded their next plane and took off.

As the plane soared over land, Kalei had never been so fascinated by so much land, she felt like a five-year-old with a new toy. When the Great Lakes came into view, they looked like the plane had flown over another sea, since the lakes were so huge. Gabe and Anna sat separate from her and Kalei chatted with a friendly young woman about college age named Amanda

"I'm taking a course to become a park Ranger in Keystone. What are you doing in Keystone?"

"My father, who is a park Ranger, moved there three years ago to find a new job. He wants us to live with him. And good luck on your course, I hope you get your dream job, maybe I'll see you soon."

"Thank you. And good luck to you too!" The two went their separate ways and the kids, thanking their flight attendant, went to the terminal to pick up their bags, and were greeted by their father

"DAD!" He hugged Anna and Gabe first, before hugging Kalei separately before getting to the conveyors and retrieved their bags and went to their father's car outside. As they walked outside the airport, Kalei looked up and around and took off her jacket, the warm breeze greeted her skin and gave Kalei cheerful goose bumps, making her shudder

"This is amazing. I can't wait to get to the lodge." Her father smiled at her while loading the bags into the trunk

"You're going to love it, and when we get there, I'll introduce you to the other family."

"Thanks." Getting into the car, they drove away from the airport and while Anna and her brother chatted with their father, talking about things that had happened in Iceland, Kalei looked out the window and smiled at what she saw. Mountains, forests, a bright blue sky that was almost cloudless, she saw some deer, a raccoon, and she almost swore she saw a bear.

After a few more minutes, they hit gravel and pulled up onto a long and shady driveway that extended about fifty yards before pulling into a parking lot, in front of them, the lodge stood out in the open air. When they parked, the kids literally jumped out of the car, except for Kalei and grabbed their bags and rushed inside, eager to see what the inside of the lodge looked like, leaving Kalei remaining outside to finish grabbing her bags, and when Kalei dropped hers; a hand reached out and grabbed the


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting

Chapter 2: Meetings

A hand reached out and grabbed the handle next to her hand. Kalei picked it up and said

"Thanks, but I got…it." She trailed off when she came face to face with a blonde-haired boy in front of her, a rather cute-looking one for that matter. His hair was a light blonde, it looked as if he didn't brush it that morning, he wore a reddish-orange t-shirt that read _Grand Canyon_ and had a faded picture of the famed canyon on it. He wore tan cargo shorts, and wore sports sandals; he had bright blue eyes in comparison to her brown eyes. When he caught her looking at his shirt, he smirked at her and said

"Like it? That coloring is from the dirt of the Grand Canyon itself! Cool huh? By the way, I'm Dylan Hatcherson, you must be Mr. Becher's oldest daughter; Kalei Becher right?" He held his hand out so they could shake hands, Kalei reluctantly held her hand out as well, she wasn't quite used to that greeting. She nodded to him

"Right you are. Is your dad a Park Ranger too?" The boy, Dylan, gave her a friendly smirk

"Yes, he and your dad work together as Rangers. Here. I'll get this." Dylan said as he grabbed the suitcase

"Okay, thanks." She went to the trunk and retrieved another bag before heading inside.

When stepping inside, it took Kalei' breath away. Like the outside, the inside was made of treated and un-treated wood. In the center of the main hall, there was a gigantic stone fireplace, and almost everywhere, there were stuffed animals, from the toys, to wilds animals hunted down, shot and stuffed. In every corner, nook and cranny, there was a stuffed animal, there was a mountain lion, a wood duck, funny looking things, a bear, a hawk, falcon, even a bison, gazelle. A majority of plains animals. There were five decks, making Kalei figure there were five levels, and there were already people here, either hanging about on the furniture, talking with each other, talking to staff, or doing something to please themselves, or eating in the dining hall to her far left

"Wow, this is like nothing I've ever seen before." Her father walked up behind her and grinned, placing a hand on her shoulder

"And guess what? This is where you're gonna live."

"I cannot wait." Then the sound of thundering footsteps caught her attention, whipping her head around, a boy, looking much older than Dylan with wavy brown hair, light tan skin, brown eyes, a red t-shirt, black and blue sport shorts and worn, dirty sneakers jumped from the last four steps and had a almost smooth landing. A cell phone bulged in his right front pocket

"Heya there, I'm Jason, I'm Dylan's older brother." Kalei gave him a slightly awkward smile from his loud entrance. An older man with blonde hair salted gray walked up behind him and gave him a light head slap before turning to Kalei and her family

"Sorry about his entrance kids, he's a football player, if you get it, anyway, welcome to Keystone, home to the famed monument: Mount Rushmore. I hope Dylan treated you well?" He asked, more directly to Kalei, which she gave him a confirming nod, "Well then, my boys will show you to your rooms, and after that, we'll introduce you to our staff! Jason, play nice."

"Thank you so much Mr. Hatcherson."

"You can call me Mr. Andrew. And you're very welcome." Dylan showed Kalei to her room and she smiled at how things were arranged, of course, she would change things to suit her better. Dylan commented

"I wasn't allowed in here until you got here and I must say, for a girl of Middle School age, you're not that interested in make-up and all that, you've only got some eyeshadow and lip gloss and that's about it, not counting the nail polish."

"Please, I play more sports than I go all gaga on boys. I'm not that type. I imagine girls are like that around you? And why are you noticing the extra stuff I've got?" Dylan nodded, sitting on her chair backwards, placing his arms on top of the back

"Yeah, girls at school go nut's over me, they wear make-up and flirty dresses to try and get my attention, and even the tomboy's like me. That's why I spend more time with my guy friends that I do with girls. There are only few girls who only like me as a friend, and I think that they're even starting to get all crushed on me! And my brother, he has a girlfriend who I've seen use that kind of stuff. But he broke up with her a while ago." Kalei laughed

"Trust me. I'll stay a friend, plus, I often have a hard time getting the attention of boys anyway," She lifted a small stack of books from a worn cardboard box and began to arrange them on the bookshelf and continued speaking, "besides my looks, which they are only after, I repel them with being tough, and it works. But since you gave me a good first impression on me earlier, I'll go easy on you. Deal?"

"Deal. Want me to help with anything?"

"Sure. Could you hook up my laptop?"

"Sure." As the two worked to put things the way Kalei wanted, Dylan happened to notice that Kalei had very few things that were pink or anything seriously girly, she really _was _indeed a tomboy.

After a few more minutes of getting everything set up. The two headed back downstairs where Kalei, Gabe and Anna were introduced to the staff. Then, when Kalei asked about the enclosures in the back, Mr. Andrew said

"Your father mentioned you adore animals, and Dylan wouldn't mind showing them to you."

"Not at all dad." Dylan said from a recliner chair, not even looking up from his book, the fourth book in the Inheritance Cycle: Inheritance, looking relaxed, everyone laughed

"Anyway, Kalei, Gabe and Anna Becher, welcome to Keystone, and I hope you enjoy this wondrous place of nature!" Everyone clapped and welcomed the three and Dylan grabbed Kalei and pulled her to the back. They went through a back door and steel fences lined a hallway, there was no roof besides the ones that roofed each enclosure. For each of them, Dylan showed her a multitude of different animals. One, they stopped for a young female raccoon named Neti

"One Park Ranger found her with her paw stuck in a hunter's trap, she has several broken bones, but they should heal soon." They moved on to the next one

"And this is Nirka. A mountain lion, as you can see. She's pregnant, but she suffered a gunshot wound to the upper front paw, which we still have to remove the bullet, and some nasty wounds to her back from what appears to be a coyote attack. We think she's expecting two cubs, when they're born, we think pretty soon." As Dylan rambled on about the animals, Kalei was absorbed into Nirka's mind; the female mountain lion's voice was young, but motherly

_I'm grateful that these kind people saved my life. If I were still out there, I would be endangering the life of my cubs. _Kalei sighed, feeling bad that Nirka had to go through this, but she didn't even bother ask about her mate

_I hope you do well, and I'll be here where they're born. I'm Kalei by the way; I just arrived here from Iceland_. Dylan continued, until a clash of talons against metal made Kalei nearly jump out of her skin, she turned to the enclosure behind her and saw something that took her breath away

"A Bald Eagle." She whispered. At first, she though it was female, then she poked around in his mind to realize it was male, with his talons; he hung from the fence, staring at her with ferocity that would have made Anna cower behind her

_I know, I know, I'm large for my gender, don't say anything about and back off, or else. _He snapped at her spreading his wings and hissing a bit, he was in a bad mood. Kalei shook her head, though taken aback

_It's not that, I'm just amazed to see a Bald Eagle in person, I've read and learned so much about your species and was ecstatic to see one for real, and now I'm living my dream. I'm Kalei, I just moved here from Iceland, and be nice._ Kalei went to approach him when Dylan grabbed her hand

"Don't get near him! He's dangerous!" Kalei was shocked

"How can he be dangerous?" Dylan took a deep breath and explained

"We found him recently, he was found near a grouping of rocks. When we picked him up, we found out that both his wings are broken, but he's so stubborn, stubborn enough that he won't accept any medical treatment. We only have two choices, either amputate both his wings, or put him to sleep." Kalei looked like she had been stung by a yellow jacket, she turned to the male Bald Eagle and said

_If you want to fly again, you need medical treatment, why won't you accept it?_

_It makes me look bad. _Kalei mentally laughed

_Typical male, toughen up and grow a backbone, it won't make you look bad._

_How do you know that?_ He asked, narrowing his golden eyes even more

_I've encountered seabirds from back in Iceland who've had similar problems like you, it made them feel uncomfortable, but it allowed them to fly again, by the way, mind if I call you Freedom? _Kalei explained casually, observing her nails, spreading them out a couple of times

_Uh…sure. I like the name. Fine with me._ After a few more minutes of being introduced to the other animals, Kalei and Dylan went back inside, had dinner, and headed for bed.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

Kalei read in bed past midnight, she was exhausted, but awake enough that she couldn't sleep. She felt so much more comfortable than she did back in Iceland. When she realized the animals were still awake, she chose Neti and talked to her, when she reached the raccoon, Neti asked

_Can't sleep?_

_No, this day has just been so much more exciting than my tenth birthday back in Iceland, and that was a surprise party! The excitement is just keeping me up! _Neti laughed

_Well, the other animals are awake, including Freedom, as you've named him, and I like that you named him. The Ranger's were actually planning on calling him Talon. _After she said that, Nirka came in

_We had heard rumor's that Mr. Becher's kids were moving to the States for a long time, it was kind of boring with just Dylan and Jason, and Dylan is much more enthusiastic than Jason. And now that you and your brother and sister are here, we know things will look up for many of us._

_Agreed, so anyway, why'd you move here? Besides the fact for a new home?_

_My father came here to find a new job two years after my mother passed away from a deadly car crash when I was seven._ Kalei explained, a hint of sadness was noticeable in her voice._ My brother, sister and I waited __**three**__ years for this to come, and my mother had died two years before then. But we're still struggling to move on without our mother, and my sister Anna was just 2 ½ when mom died, and Gabe was five._

_Wow, I'm really sorry Kalei. _Said a friendly voice, it was Freedom, probably out of boredom, he decided to join the conversation, Neti teased him

_Ah, Freedom! Decided to join the party?_

_Very funny, Neti. And Kalei, I am very sorry about your mother's death. And we all greatly appreciate you moving here, and Nirka's right, hope is finally starting to shine down on us, and hopefully, for Nirka's cubs as well, I think they'll be arriving in a few weeks, if not, two._

_Thanks guys, I think we can all be friends, but now, I'm gonna have to figure out a way to tell everyone about my gift of speaking to animals._

_Does your family know? _Freedom asked

_No, not yet, but if they did figure it out, then they haven't told me yet. But I think Dylan is going to be the most difficult to convince. _Hayden, a young black bear who was obsessed with romance, and who was there for a fractured back leg, immediately jumped to a conclusion

_You __**like**__ him don't you?_ That conclusion made Kalei jump; she shook her head and replied

_I've only known him for less than a day! How can I already like him if I've known him for less than a day? Besides, I have no interest in liking boys, if I did, it would be just for friendship, besides, we made a deal earlier. And what I meant by him being difficult to convince, I meant that he's already going through a hardship of his own at the moment._ This disappointed Hayden a bit; she sat down and closed her mouth

_And what might that be? _Nirka asked, before wincing as one of her cubs kicked her in the ribcage

_His mom and dad are separated, he and I have one thing in common, and our mother's are not with us. _Gaby, an adult Great Horned Owl, who was here because she accidentally swallowed a mouse that ate rat poison, said

_I think I remember hearing about that, oh the poor boy, I think you guys can comfort each other until things work out for you guys_

_Thanks Gaby, well, feels like I'm finally starting to fall asleep, g'night guys_

_Goodnight Kalei _Nirka whispered before falling asleep herself

_Sleep tight _Neti whispered before curling up in her little den

'_Night. _Said Gaby gently

_Good night Kalei, sleep well _Freedom said to her

_You too Freedom, see you all tomorrow morning, and Freedom, I'll find a way to heal your wings even if it kills me._

*Laughter * Don't, good night Kalei.


	4. Chapter 3: Explanations

Chapter 3: Explanations

* * *

Early the next morning, Kalei woke up an hour before sunrise and immediately began doing some research. She knew that if she was going to help Freedom regain his flight, she was going to have to do some research on people who could help. She looked up veterinarians around Keystone and looked at their websites, a couple she wrote down their phone numbers and some more information, then she looked up Bald Eagle experts, and did the same like she did before.

She spent about an hour and a half working on this, she was finished by the time everyone was starting to eat breakfast, and she sat down by Dylan and began to write something. Several times, Dylan tried peeking at what she was doing, but each time, she slapped his hand, making him go back to his cereal, at one point Mr. Andrew asked

"And what might you be working on so early in the morning?"

"Research." Kalei answered, writing something on her notebook. Mr. Andrew raised an eyebrow

"For what?" Kalei looked up at him

"Dylan took me to see the animals and told me about the male Bald Eagle, whom of which I have named Freedom, when he told me about his broken wings, I woke up before sunrise and began to do some research on people who could help him regain his flight, I already have some numbers of experts on Bald Eagles, and veterinarians who could help. I was planning on calling some of them to see when they were available." She ripped out the page and slid it across the table to Mr. Andrew and he read it. Everyone looked very surprised

"I'm glad you made an effort. I think we can do this with their help."

"I know, and there is one more thing I wanted to share with you all." Kalei's heart began to pound, and her hands began to get sweaty

"And what might that be?" Dylan asked, glancing at her from his cereal, the spoon dripping milk into the bowl

"I can talk to animals." At first, there were several minutes of silence, then her father exclaimed

"Well that really explains quite a bit." Kalei looked at him with surprise, and confusion, what explained it? It wasn't making any sense to her

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since you were a child, I always noticed how well you get along with animals, and I guess you were speaking to them the whole time."

"So, you're not gonna send me to a mental hospital like Dr. Doolittle?" Everyone laughed

"Of course not!" Her father replied. That relieved Kalei from years of pressure on her shoulders.

For the rest of the day, Kalei taught Dylan, her siblings and Jason how to talk to animals, she started out with the simplest animal: a lizard. She had managed to catch a female blue-tailed skink and brought it to the others

"This is Shari, now focus, and expand your mind into hers." While being held in her hands, Shari asked Kalei, with clear confusion and shock wavering in her tone of voice

_Are these kids insane?_

_Just play along, I'm trying to teach them to talk to animals, and you are the first step to getting them there. The last step? Freedom. He's going to be tougher though. _Then, Dylan was the first to get through Shari's mind

_Wow Kalei, this is amazing! _Dylan said

_Isn't it? Shari, this is my friend Dylan, Dylan, Shari_

_Nice to meet you Dylan._ Shari replied, one by one, the other kids reached through Shari's mind, then they moved on to Neti, which was also successful, then Nirka, then Hayden, then Gaby, and finally, Freedom

"Now, may I warn you, he is very stubborn and only listens to people he can trust. You guys have to gain his trust first. Just talk to him like a normal human being, and if he nuzzles you, then he trusts you, after that, try to mentally talk to him.

It took about three hours before the kids all gained his trust and could speak to him. While Jason, Anna and Gabe went to go try out their new talent, Kalei and Dylan stayed behind with the animals, Shari poked her small black head out of Dylan's front pockets, spitting out a small dark ball of pocket lint from her mouth, using her tiny claws to pick out any leftover fibers in her micro teeth

_Yuck! Pocket lint. Last time I'm staying in there. _She exclaimed as she picked out another fiber. Dylan picked her up and held her carefully in his hands and stared at her

_Sorry Shari, you're too big for my shirt pocket, I'll make sure to clean out my pockets the next time, or Kalei can bring a small shoulder bag._

_Likewise._ Kalei let the lizard hang around on her shoulders while they talked to the animals

_That went really well guys, I'm surprised it actually worked out. _Kalei said to all of them at once

_I'm pleasantly surprised myself, _Freedom commented, _those kids were not as annoying as I though they would be._

_Thanks for not tearing their faces open by the way, I still can't believe they share my talent now, I only hope they don't go bragging about it though_. After Dylan left, Neti was taken out for her broken paw, Gaby was taken for surgery to remove the mouse, Nirka for the bullet, and Hayden for her fractured leg, leaving Kalei and Freedom alone.

Kalei opened the gate door and scooped up Freedom in her arms and walked outside

_Does it feel good out here? _The eagle raised his head proud and smiled the best he could, he wanted to spread his wings so bad, but with both of them broken, it was literally impossible

_Wish I could spread my wings and feel the breeze again._

_But you will! I found a way to heal your wings!__  
__Really? How?_

_I found websites for experts and veterinarians to figure out how they can heal your wings, though it might involve surgery…butit'sforyourowngood!_

_Wait, what?_

_It's nothing…_ Kalei trailed off when she saw Mount Rushmore

_That was where I was born. _Freedom said

_Really? Cool! You got to see the monument up close them huh?_

_Yes, and it was quite the experience._

_Do you have any siblings?_

_One older brother, by a year, Cameron, we went our separate ways before we reached sexual maturity, which was several months ago, I believe six or so. I heard from his friend Luke that he's got a mate now, and three chicks, one boy and two girls._

_That's great! But you don't sound too happy about it though._

_I'm not, I'm able to mate at this age now, but I haven't seen another female eagle besides my own mother! And I haven't even met my nieces and nephew yet!_

_Maybe you'll find one after your wings heal, besides, you're still young and you've got many more years to go, I'm sure there's a beautiful female eagle out there waiting for you, like in movies, fate brings two lovers together._

_That's the problem; I've never been in love before._

_You'll find it soon, I promise, in the meantime; you've still got the rest of us, right?_

_I know, but it's just not the same._

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

_Mom…I know._ A young female eagle around Freedoms age, named Sequoia, living in Sequoia National Park in California, hence her name, said to her mother. The last of Sequoia's juvenile feathers had faded away and now she was quite the attractive female. Sharp sunset golden eyes and a bright yellow beak, with short, dark and noticeable eyelashes as well, she was smaller than most females were, in fact, she was the size of an average male, whereas her mother and father were averaged-sized. To her, all of her other friends towered over her and outcasted her, claiming she was too petite for them. Sequoia knew they'd find mates fast, besides, they were all a solid year older than her, one, named Josie, already had her first clutch of two eggs with a strapping male named Jaden. Now, what was once two, became one, after the first born killed his younger sister, the boy, named Kevin, already was proving himself to be strong, marking it true he would survive well in the wild when he was old enough, and after hearing about that, Sequoia swore to herself, that if she ever became a mother, she would never let her hatchlings hurt or kill each other, even if it was a rule of nature.

When she told her mother and father this, they understood why, they knew their daughter never liked death in violence.

One day, Sequoia just couldn't take the life in the forest anymore, after saying good bye to her mother and father, Sequoia took off, using her wings for the first time, and purposefully flew over the nests of her friends, one, who was kind to her, named Madeline, or Maddie for short, asked

_Sequoia? Where are you going? _The other females appeared, and Josie, who was kind of their leader said

_Yeah Sequoia. Where are you going? Too cowardly to find a mate here? _Sequoia rolled her eyes, tired of hearing this for the fifth hundredth time

_No, you guys took all the good ones, and I want a good mate, so I'm leaving this place for Keystone, where I hear there are a bunch of fine young males __**my **__age that any of which could be a suitable mate. _Then, she stopped, for a few Park Rangers down below were chatting away about something, catching her attention

"Freedom? Wow, that girl has got some skill at naming an eagle."

"I agree Caroline, I still cannot believe she has that uncanny ability to talk to animals."

"I though it was a myth!"

"I know, me too, so anyway, there's this male Bald Eagle in Keystone." This caught the other female bald eagles' attention, they climbed down so they could hear the conversation better, maybe this could be Sequoia's chance of finding a suitable mate, "And he has two broken wings from a mountain lion attack. Apparently, this girl, who moved from Iceland just a short time ago, can talk to him and just about every animal on the planet and has found a way to help him! Plus, he has no mate. So once those wings are healed, he'll be able to mate. Plus, the most unusual thing about him is, is that he's the size of an average female! If he does happen to breed, he's going to have to be careful so he doesn't hurt the female."

"That's just amazing, oh, we should probably head back." After the two female Rangers disappeared into the redwoods in their golf cart, Josie said

_Poor guy, and the name Freedom? Sounds like a strapping male to me. But Sequoia shouldn't get to him. He doesn't need her!_ Sequoia was shocked, finally, she was putting her foot down, she had had enough of this, and she wasn't going to hold back what she had wanted to say to them for so long anymore

_Hey! You listen here Josie. I am tired of all of you guys out casting me just because I'm smaller than you guys! And you always brag about all of your accomplishments while you barely wait to listen to what I have to say. And you're not stopping me from going to Keystone._

_Wait, you __**really**__ think he'll be your mate? You're insane!__  
__I'm not sure about being his mate, probably his friend, but you'll see, I'll prove that I'm just as good as you guys, and you can't stop me! And if I happen to come back, I'll tell you everything. But you just wait and see. Everyone, no matter how big or small can make great accomplishments! _With that final outburst, Sequoia spread her magnificent wings and took to the sky. For once, everyone except Josie felt badly about how they had treated her, maybe she could be that eagles mate; after all, big surprises come in small packages. Then, one female, named Jessie said

_You know what? Sequoia's right! She doesn't deserve the torment we've been giving her! We should follow her so we can apologize to her! Maybe Freedom will be her mate! After all, there's the old saying: Big surprises come in small packages._ One by one, the other girls agreed, and went to their separate nests to talk to their mates, and Josie looked out to the sunset, seeing that Sequoia was no longer in sight.

Sequoia flew for long distances, and she did catch quite a bit of attention whenever she landed, because the number of Bald Eagles was slowly increasing, and the more Bald Eagles sighted, it meant the breeding program was working well. Some of the other females, who used to bully Sequoia, had followed her and were also catching quite a bit of attention, however, one Park Ranger in Utah, where Sequoia was, shot her with a dart gun and brought her to their Ranger Station and said to her fellow Rangers

"This is very unusual."

"What might that be Mary?"

"This is a female Bald Eagle."

"That's a female?" Asked her supervisor

"Yes, she's the size of an average male, I can imagine she must have been pushed around quite a bit as a hatchling, and a juvenile, and it appears she's just reached maturity, I only pray, for her sake I hope that she finds a good mate." They did a couple of tests but didn't band her. Instead, they let her go and Sequoia continued her journey to Keystone.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

One of the Bald Eagle experts had been called in from town and did an inspection on Freedom; the middle-aged man was both surprised and impressed when he saw Freedom for the first time

"Big for his gender. Powerful legs, strong beak, overall, he's a rather healthy male, just reached sexual maturity, once we get him to fly, he'll be able to mate." The man, Dr. Geraldo, continued his inspection on Freedom, after he was finished, Kalei got him back and Freedom said to her as the doctor told Mr. Andrew the results

_Geez that felt really uncomfortable. He poked me everywhere!_

_I know, I know, but it was required, if you want to fly again, this is going to be your only chance. And there will be more doctors and experts checking you out._

_Oh Lord, help me._

_Oh stop complaining, it's not going to be that bad, just some check-ups, but no matter how much you hate it, you can't attack the person. _Freedom chirped, which would have been a snort, Kalei rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and sat in a red leather recliner chair.

The check-ups came and went, each time, successfully. Kalei said to him

_You're wings will heal soon, the fractures at your wing joint and connecting joint are slowly starting to heal, but now, I have to put both your wings in bandages so you don't damage them even more, but don't even __**think**__ of scratching my eyes out, got it? _Freedom rolled his eyes the best he could. Even though Freedom protested, Kalei managed to put bandages around his wings and connected them to his body. When she was finished, Freedom gave her a smug look, which she didn't take

_Sorry Freedom, I know it's uncomfortable, but this is what you're getting so your wings can heal up, it'll only take a little more than two weeks._

_Come on Freedom, lighten up and grow a backbone, its just two ½ weeks, not that bad. _Dylan said to him, trying to lighten him up, before Freedom nearly ripped his eyes out.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

Sequoia had been flying for a while, plus she really hadn't been able to eat much, down below, she saw a good-sized salmon in the water below, swooped down, and snatched it up in her talons. She didn't realize she was in a National Park, once she settled on a dead tree, she began to eat, not realizing she had swallowed something that was in the fish that could kill her. People saw her and immediately started taking pictures, but Sequoia ignored them and continued eating.

After she had finished, she began to preen her wings, and down below, a six-year-old, with a strong arm, when nobody was looking, he threw a rock at her, when it hit her foot, she squawked in pain, and at that moment, a Park Ranger saw and Sequoia attacked the boy, the Park Ranger didn't do anything to Sequoia, but he did order the boy and his family to leave.

Sequoia's foot didn't hurt that much longer, when she read the sign at where she was, and looked at a map, she realized she was almost there, 2 ½ more weeks left to go, then she'd be there.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

_2 ½ weeks later…_

_Okay Freedom, it's been 2 ½ weeks since we put this bandage on you, when we take it off, spread out your wings. Understood?_

_Yes._

_Okay… _Kalei undid the bandage and began to unwind it, after half a minute, the bandage was removed, and Freedom spread open his wings, a magnificent wingspan of a little more than seven feet, Kalei couldn't have looked more proud, she hugged the eagle close, then, with him of her arm, they went out to a small outcropping near the woods. She said to him

_Make sure you come back every now and then to visit okay?_

_I will, and thank you for everything you've done for me._

_Likewise. I'll miss you._ Kalei outstretched her arm, and Freedom spread his large wings, and with a huge thrust of Kalei's arm, Freedom took to the sky for the first time in a while. As Freedom's figure became small and smaller, Kalei whispered and waved him goodbye

"Fly safe my friend. And may the wind take you anywhere." She had once said that to a hawk back in Iceland. She continued to watch as Freedom flew further and further away until he had disappeared entirely, and all Kalei was looking at, was the landscape.

Kalei walked back to the lodge looking both happy and sad, Freedom was back in the wild again, where he belonged with others of his species, and hopefully, he would find a suitable mate.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

Sequoia had been flying for a while, something was stuck in her stomach that wouldn't leave her body, whenever she bent over, it would hurt her, it felt like a needle was poking her stomach from the inside. Sequoia began to wonder if that fish had eaten something bad before she ate it? Well, it didn't matter anymore, she was finally at her destination, Keystone, home of the famed Mount Rushmore, and the home of the famed eagle Freedom, as she had heard where he lived, and she hoped to find him soon.

She continued flying, the needle-in-the-stomach feeling wasn't going away, as she looked down for a decent place to land for the night, as the sun was already going down, she crashed into something. Shaking her head from the impact, she looked up and saw another bald eagle in front of her, who also was trying to shake away the impact, then she realized, it was a male, oops,

_Sorry about that, I didn't see where I was going. _She apologized in a hurry, and in embarrassment. A second later, the other eagle recovered from the impact and also apologized

_That's all right. I'm Freedom by the way. _Sequoia's eyes widened

_I heard about you a while ago, I used to live in Sequoia National Park in California. _

_Why'd you leave?_

_As you've probably noticed, I'm small for my gender, so the other females used to push me around a lot, saying that because I was so small, that I wouldn't find a suitable mate. So after I heard about you, I decided Keystone might be a good place for to find a mate and raise a family of my own._ After hearing her story, Freedom thought about it for a moment, then he said to her

_Your name is Sequoia right?_ She nodded_, Well, how about we find an abandoned nest and stay there for the night, then I can take you to meet a few friends of mine, you look like you ate something bad. _Freedom looked at her up and down with a faint trace of suspicion

_And I think I did. _Sequoia replied flatly

_Well, we'll settle down for the night, then we'll go back to meet my friends you can feel better, sound good?_

_Fine with me. Lead the way._

Freedom lead Sequoia over the forest, as they flew side by side, and already, Sequoia liked him. And some of Sequoia's friends, who had followed her, saw her fly with another eagle. About half an hour later, Freedom found a nest that was pretty stable and the two slept side by side like they did when flying

_Thank you._ The funny thing was, was that Sequoia had a noticeable Australian accent, and no bald eagles lived outside of the states, not even in Hawaii, Freedom smiled at her and placed a wing over her.

* * *

**Okay, so we learn about a female eagle, will she be able to make it with the pain in her stomach? We'll find out!**


	5. Chapter 4: Sequoia

Chapter 4: Sequoia

* * *

The next morning, the two woke up and Freedom asked her how she was feeling

_It feels like a needle is poking me from the inside._

_Hmm, well, I know someone who can help, but it will require flying a distance to get there._

_It's fine, I'll survive. _Her accent mixed in with her sarcasm actually made Freedom think he liked her as well.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

"Aw come on Jason! This is what you call _cooking_?" Anna asked as she spat out her macaroni and cheese. She washed out the taste with some coke and sent him a smug look. Kalei shook her head

"I have to agree with her Jason, and no offence, but I think you need another semester of Home Ed."

"Hey!" A light _click clack _brought their attention to the back door

"Freedom?" Kalei stood up from her chair and opened the door, letting him, and another eagle in, "What are you doing here?"

_Brought her in._ Freedom replied, gesturing his head to the eagle, who, surprisingly, was a female. Kalei watched her heap up onto the back of a chair and Kalei cautiously approached her

"Hey it's okay. I'm a friend. I'm not gonna hurt you." The female eagle saw her as a friend and leapt up into her arms

_Freedom? What happened to her?_

_I don't know exactly, you're gonna have to ask her. _Kalei poked around in the females mind and found out her name was Sequoia

_What a pretty name, and your accent. Are you part Australian?_

_In a way, yes. _Sequoia replied. Her family history was confusing to talk about.

_So what's the problem? _Kalei and the others listened closely to what Sequoia had to say, the bullying, overhearing about Freedom, her trek to get here, and the fish as well. When she finished, Kalei said

"I'll have my dad do an X-ray. Just to make sure you didn't swallow anything that could be dangerous to your health." Kalei pulled out her cell phone, dialed her father's number and began speaking

"Dad? Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but Freedom brought in a female eagle just a few minutes ago and she think she might have swallowed something that is not good for her. Should we do an x-ray? Yeah. Uh huh. Okay. Will do. Yes, we'll be careful. Good luck. Bye." Kalei stopped and hung up and said to Dylan

"My dad said we cam use the x-ray room, but we have to be careful. One of the staff is here, so can ask her for help. Sequoia?" The eagle leapt up onto Kaleis arm, and leaving the animals and the kids behind, Dylan, Kalei, Sequoia and Jason went to the x-ray room.

"Kate? You here?"

"Back here guys!"

"Oh good. How's Nirka doing?"

"Our guess of two cubs was right. Two healthy ones too, we think just by looking at the x-rays, that one's a boy and the other is a girl. So, who's this?"

"This is Sequoia. Freedom brought her in a while ago and Sequoia thinks she swallowed something bad." Kate grinned; the 21-year-old tied her blonde hair back into a ponytail, put on a heavy vest, and did the same for Sequoia and laid her down on the table.

While Dylan, Kalei and Jason waited outside, Kate did five x-rays. Once she was finished, she removed the vests and took the eagle outside holding the five x-rays

"Well? What did you find?"

"She did swallow something. When she ate that fish, apparently, it already had a _fishing hook_ in its stomach." She gently laid Sequoia on her back and rubbed a part on Sequoia's belly close to her genital

"This is where the hook is located, we'll have to do surgery to remove it."

"Will that ruin her chance of mating?"

"No. We'll have the same veterinarians we used for Freedom. Since they did such a fantastic job fixing his wings, I don't see why they can't help Sequoia."

Later that day, Kalei asked if Freedom wanted to stay here and he agreed. She placed him back in his enclosure, and told Nirka and everyone else the good news and asked Sequoia were she wanted to stay, either with her, or Freedom

_I, think I'll stay with Freedom for tonight._

_Okay. G'night guys, see you all tomorrow._

_Good night Kalei._ After Kalei closed the door, Sequoia looked at Freedom and he led her to the back where a small nest lay in a rock shelf, with another rock overhead, like a miniature home. Freedom, with one of his talons, gestured to a spot next to him, and Sequoia snuggled up next to him. Their body heat was shared, as the small shelf was slightly chilly. And Sequoia fell asleep before him. At first, it felt a little awkward, but after a few minutes, Freedom got used to it and felt like he wanted to stay in this position forever.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

"Seriously Kalei? This isn't going to work." Jason complained the next morning. With everyone watching, Kalei stepped foreword and clapped in Jason's face

"Jason! Focus!" When Kalei said this, her Icelandic accent finally became noticeable. Sequoia looked at Freedom and raised an eyebrow

_Are they always like this? And does Kalei have an Icelandic accent?_

_Yes, and yes._

_She really knows what she's doing._

_She has six cousins back in Iceland who never focus on one thing. That's her tactic._ Sequoia laughed softly, these kids were amusing, but she stopped when the pain came back. Catching Kalei's attention

"Guys, we _need _to do surgery soon. If we don't, something bad could happen." Everyone nodded in agreement; Kalei handed Sequoia over to Dylan, yanked out her phone and dialed a vet

"Hello? Yes, this is Kalei Becher. Yes, well, I have a female bald eagle here and she swallowed a fishing hook few days ago by accident, and the pain keeps on getting worse, I need to send her in for surgery pronto. Okay, I'll bring in the x-rays too. Thanks. Bye." Kalei turned to everyone

"Okay, Sequoia' scheduled for surgery in a day. Freedom, I know it's going to be tough, but you'll have to wait a while before you can see her again."

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

Kalei's father drove her, Sequoia and Dylan to the veterinarian, Dylan held the x-rays, and Kalei held Sequoia, and Freedom (who had convinced Kalei to bring him along) lay by Kalei's side

"It's gonna be okay, I promise." They pulled into the parking lot, Kalei's father held Freedom, Dylan held the x-rays in a folder, and Kalei held Sequoia in her arms. They signed in, and vets took in Sequoia, Kalei, and Dylan followed the vet and Kalei's father hung around with Freedom.

Kalei handed one of the vet's an x-ray so they knew where to cut. After inspecting it, they immediately got to work. Kalei leaned her head on Dylan's shoulder and he hugged her shoulder blades, Kalei watched painfully as they gave her anesthetic, making her fall asleep, as they carefully cut open her belly, and with special tools, removed the hook. They removed the contents of her stomach to make sure she hadn't eaten anything else dangerous to her health, sewed her up, cleaned the hook, and before Kalei knew it, it was all over, and the entire process took only less than an hour, and Sequoia, still groggy from the anesthetic, opened her eyes and said to Kalei, Freedom and Dylan, fuzz surrounding their images in Sequoia's eyes

_My visions…blurry. Wha…what happened? _Kalei said to her

_They removed the fishing hook, you're gonna be okay, but you're staying in the lodge until you're fully recovered._

_Augh, and I'm starving._

_They removed everything from your stomach to make sure you hadn't eaten anything else dangerous. We'll feed you once we get back. _Sequoia nodded and fell asleep in Kalei's arms. Kalei, Freedom and Dylan looked at her with pity.

When they got back to the lodge, Kalei found a recliner chair, pulled it back and lay Sequoia on her stomach and stroked her back, Freedom asked if she would still be able to mate, Kalei nodded, then, realization dawned, she smirked at him, and the other animals arrived

_You, like Sequoia don't you? _Freedom turned away, _Oh come on Freedom, don't be ashamed._ When Kalei turned to the animals, they all had expressions of excitement, and nervousness

_What's wrong guys?_

_Nirka just went into labor! _What? She's two weeks early!

_But…it's too early!_

_Well wake up and smell the cubs, because she is, get your butt over there!_

_I'm coming, I'm coming! _Freedom said

_I'll get Sequoia over to our enclosure._

_Thanks._

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

_Gah…why does it have to hurt? _Nirka cried, she knew herself she was early, but her body was telling her it was time. Kalei placed a hand on her shoulder

_It'll be over soon, just take deep breaths and push. _It took five pushes before a soft wail entered the enclosure

"It's a boy!"

"Okay girl, just one more to go, and it's over!" A young man in his early thirties, named Chris said to Nirka, To speed up the birth, Kalei carefully pressed on Nirka's belly, and two tiny paws appeared, then the front legs, then the head, then the upper body, and finally, the cub slipped out

"This one's a girl!" Finally, it was all over, the cubs were cleaned and they were healthy, at the same time the last cub was born, Sequoia woke up and fluttered over to one of the cubs, when one of them began to softly cry, Sequoia nuzzled her beak very gently on the cubs body and she quieted down. Everyone looked at her in amazement

_How'd you do that? _Freedom asked her

_I was my parent's second clutch, they had five after my sister, and myself, when my parents were gone hunting, since I decided to stay behind while my sister went somewhere else, I stayed behind and tended to the hatchlings. My mother would often say I would be a very good mother one day when I have hatchlings of my own. _Kalei nodded in agreement and gently rubbed her back and secretly winked at the other animals

_I know you will, but for now, Nirka? What do you want to name them?_

_I'll name the boy after my brother, Benjamin, and my daughter, Rocky._

_I like those names, now guys, let's give them some time alone. _

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

That evening, when Nirka was strong enough, she and Hayden brought the cubs into the lodge, where the kids were alone with the animals while the staff had gone home and everyone else was out doing other things. Kalei took out a guitar and said

"I used to take guitar lessons a few years back, kept my hopes up after mom died, and I think I can sing one song that I recently fell in love with."

_Let's hear it. _Sequoia said.

Kalei smiled at her, and began to strum her chords, and Dylan began to clap lightly to the beat

"Can't you see?

There's a feelin' that's come over me

Close my eyes

You're the only one that leaves me

Completely breathless

No need to wonder why

Sometimes and gift like this

You can't deny

…

'Cause I

Wanted to fly

So you gave me your wings

And tiiiiiiiiime

Held its breath

So I could seeeeee, yeah

And You Set Me Free

…

Oooohhh

There's a will

There's a way

Sometimes words

Just can't explain

This is real

I'm afraid

I guess this time, there's just no hiding, fighting

You make me restless

You're in my heart

The only light that shines, they're in the dark

…

Ooooohhh

'Cause I, wanted to fly

So you gave me your wings

And tiiiiime, held it's breath'

So I could seeee, yeah

And You Set Me Free

…

When I was alone

You came around

When I was down

You pulled me through

And there's nothin' that I wouldn't do

For yoooouuuuoohhhh

…

'Cause I, wanted to fly

So you gave me your wings'

And tiiiiime, held its breath

So I could see yeah

And You Set Me Free

Everyone looked at her, and Freedom commented

_Not only do you have your wonderful ability to talk to animals, but also you have a wonderful musical talent_

_Aw, thanks. _She continued to play with her guitar and hum

* * *

**__Disclaimer: I don't own Michelle Branches _You Set Me Free._ I only own the story and the characters!**


	6. Chapter 5: Freedom and Sequoia

Chapter 5: Freedom and Sequoia

* * *

It had been two months since the twins were born and they were finally old enough, along side their mother, to be released into the wild, Hayden went the same, so did Gaby, but Neti requested to stay behind.

Everyone in the lodge had begun to notice how Freedom and Sequoia were acting around each other. It was almost as if they had feelings for each other, they spent more time together flying and Freedom kept Sequoia comforted as she recovered from surgery. Both had quite a few things in common, one, they both recovered well from medical emergencies, but the only thing that set them apart, was that, Sequoia had an Australian accent whilst Freedom had no accent at all. He was pure American.

Plus, they both, including Neti, spent time around with Dylan and Kalei, they were all a close-knit group, including Nirka and her cubs. They all mostly hung out in Kalei's room, and in the loft above her room, she had made a space for the animals, sp in case they wanted to spend the night, they could sleep up there.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

One day, the two flew out to Mount Rushmore and landed on top of Washington's head, they watched the sunset together, and this caught quite a bit of attention, tourists were now not going crazy for Mount Rushmore at the moment, but the two eagles that sat atop the first President's head. When all the tourists had left, Sequoia leaned her head on Freedom's shoulder, he didn't shake her off, he let her lean her head.

As the sun finished setting, the two eagles headed back, flying side by side and arrived safely in their enclosure. They found some fish waiting for them, and Sequoia said

_They really care about us don't they? _Freedom looked at her, still holding a piece of fish in his beak, he replied

_Always, Kalei has always loved animals, and when there are animals in need, she doesn't hesitate to help them. That's why I trust her so much, and I'm glad you do. By the way, I'm impressed by how you calmed Rocky down before, Kalei's right, you will make a good mother one day. _Much to his surprise, Sequoia pressed her head into his cheek and nuzzled him, and he heard those three words he knew he would never reject

_I love you. _He replied

_I love you too. _They nuzzled and pressed their heads together. Meanwhile, Hayden, Nirka, Neti, Gaby, and some of the other animals saw them, as they had come back. Gaby whispered to Hayden

_As much as I hate to admit it Hayden, but you're right. They do love each other._

_I told you so!_

_I think they will make wonderful mates. _Nirka added

_And wonderful parents one day, too._ Neti included, _I'm gonna go get Kalei and Dylan, they really must see this. But guys hide! You don't want them to see you._ The animals did likewise, and the eagles continued to hold their stance, gazing into each other's eyes. When Kalei saw this, she whispered to Dylan

"I knew they loved each other. I saw it coming."

"Man, they're good."

"They're animals Dylan, animal romance is entirely different than it is for us." Kalei answered, then she pulled Dylan away and said

"I think they should have the night to themselves."

"Agreed, come on guys, you all can spend the night here, we've got the whole lodge to ourselves!"

As the other went inside, Sequoia and Freedom pulled away from their stance

_I never thought I'd feel this way so fast!  
Me too, I never thought I'd fall in love with someone like you. I think we'll make great mates. _Meanwhile, outside, Sequoia's friends from California, had finally finished their trek and eavesdropped

_Me too, and great parents one day too. But that decision will have to wait._

_And your friends will have to think twice about every bad thing they said to you, after all_. They surprised themselves when they said the same phrase together

_Big surprises come in small packages. _They looked at each other's eyes again and pressed their heads together, Sequoia closed her eyes and Freedom watched her.

Sequoia's friends quickly flew away from the enclosure, and said

_God, Sequoia was right!  
Now I feel even worse._

_I know, but we have to tell Josie this, she won't be happy about it though._

_I know, but at least Sequoia found the perfect mate, but let's hear what else they have to say._

_No, we should go back, our families still need us; we can't abandon our own babies._ The girls agreed and flew back to California.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

The next morning, Kalei and Dylan came to the two eagles with a surprise. With Neti on her shoulder, Nirka at her side, and two beautiful horses

_Freedom, Sequoia, these are Garret, the horse next to Dylan, and this is Cima, my horse, would you guys like to race today? Perfect flying conditions for you guys. _Freedom and Sequoia looked at each other, after a moment, and Sequoia said excitedly

_Count us in!_

_Great! Let's go!_ Kalei and Dylan climbed onto their horses, and took off, Nirka bounded after them, Neti sat in front of Kalei, holding onto Cima's mane, and Sequoia and Freedom flew above

"Come on! What' are you waiting for!" One by one, the group took off

_Nice to meet you guys. I'm Cima, and that over there is my friend Garret._

_Nice to meet you, I'm Freedom and this is my-soon-to-be-mate Sequoia. _That announcement made everyone stop; Neti nearly went flying off at the halt before Kalei grabbed her by the tail

_Freedom? Are you really serious?_ Freedom and Sequoia looked a little nervous that Kalei didn't like it, but then, Dylan trotted up next to her and they high-fived

"I knew it!" Dylan cried, and she and Neti slapped him upside the head

_Kalei? What's going on?_

_Dylan bet me you would announce that soon, and he was right! I'm so happy for you guys. But you do realize what you'll have to do?_

_Not exactly, what? _

_Well, let's not ruin this, I'll tell you when we get back. _They continued to run and fly, all of them enjoying themselves.

They rode for hours, riding until after sunset, with the help of flashlights, they got back to the lodge, Freedom and Sequoia went inside, following Dylan and Kalei, and Kalei pulled out her laptop, and with everyone else watching from behind, Kalei typed up

"Bald Eagle mating rituals…ladeda. Okay, here's something. First, the male gets the females attention with some tricks in the air, once she's been impressed, they lock talons, and dove to earth at a great speed, and they swoop back up at the last second." Kalei didn't want to mention the last part, as it might scare Sequoia out of wanting to be Freedom's mate, but Gabe, being a very dimwitted kid sometimes, grabbed Kalei's laptop, and read out loud before Kalei could stop him

"But sometimes, eagle pairs don't pull up in time resulting them both to crash, sometimes one of the pair or both of them getting killed." Kalei yanked her laptop away from him

"GABE!" Everyone shouted at him at the same time. Sequoia really looked frightened now, but Freedom comforted her, and Freedom sent Gabe a beyond furious look

_Was that really necessary?_ Freedom was trying very hard not to attack the boy, holding it back

_I thought you needed to know. _Gabe shrugged

_I think the mating flight is enough, thank you very much._ Sequoia buried her head in Freedom's chest and Gabe ended up getting grounded.

Sequoia still doubted the mating flight but everyone else assured her it would be okay.

* * *

**Can Freedom and Sequoia make it? Read the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6: Mates

Chapter 6: Mates

* * *

It wasn't long after Kalei talked about the mating rituals when the time arrived for the mating flight. Sequoia confessed that she was nervous about the flight down to earth, but Kalei told her

_Just focus on what needs to be done, after this, you won't have to do it again. _Kalei hugged Sequoia close, _I'll always be here for you end to end, if you guys ever need me or Dylan, you know what to do. I wish you all the best, and you and Freedom will make excellent mates, and wonderful parents one day. _When Kalei mentioned the last thing, she gently pressed a finger to Sequoia's belly, and the two hugged.

Kalei scooped Sequoia up into her arms and walked out to the back, Jason held a video camera, and Kalei joined Dylan's side, who held Freedom on his arm, and with a strong thrust, the two eagles flew up into the sky and a news crew who had happened to hear about the two eagles quickly, had this out on National TV, and everyone across the country watched. Kalei whispered

"How on earth did they hear about this?"

"They just do, they're the media." Kalei was really impressed as she watched Freedom do some rather impressive moves in the air, until finally, Kalei said to Freedom

_Time to do the locking talons, guys._

_I'm nervous._

_Don't worry; it'll be over before you know it._ Freedom locked talons with Sequoia and saw her scared look

_Don't think about what Gabe said, think about something better_. Sequoia thought about her parents, and together, the two dove down to earth and at quite the speed, and finally, just as Kalei had hoped, they swooped up at the perfect time. Now, they were mates for life. When they flew back to Kalei and Dylan, Kalei whispered

_You both made the right choice, I'm proud of you guys, now let's get out of here while the media is still distracted._ They all laughed and went back.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

As days passed, Freedom and Sequoia were given plenty of time alone now that they were mates. One day, little Rocky saw Freedom and Sequoia

_Uncle Freedom! Auntie Sequoia! Are you really mates now?_ They were both bigger than her, and Freedom said to his niece, as he and Sequoia considered her their niece and her brother as their nephew

_Yes Rocky, we are. _Neti burst into the room a moment later with a male raccoon slightly older than her, Kalei sat Rocky on her lap, began to gently stroke her back and saw Neti and the male raccoon walk in

_Neti? Who might this be?_

_This is my mate Ian. We met a while ago. He rummaged through the garbage a lot. _Dylan smacked himself in the forehead, looking up from his sketchbook

_Well that explains a couple of things, one, why you've been disappearing lately, and why there's always garbage everywhere. _The male raccoon, Ian, said, scratching the back of his furry head sheepishly, wearing a stupid grin

_Yes, that was I. But I stopped after I met Neti, and now we're mates._

_And that's not the only good news!  
And what's that? _Sequoia asked

_I'm pregnant! _Everyone went silent, and Anna, who held Benjamin, or Ben, as they nicknamed him exclaimed

_Ewww! You guys had the 'talk'!_ Everyone burst out laughing, and even Anna laughed at her own joke, Ian just shrugged

_Yes, we did._

_Let me check to see how much longer you've got. _Kalei went foreword and pressed Neti' belly gently

_You've got about 25 more days left. Pretty soon, we'll have baby raccoons besides baby mountain lions…and maybe… _Nirka interrupted

…_Baby eagles…_ everyone nodded. Everyone looked at Freedom and Sequoia, as if they were expecting them to say something, Sequoia hung her head down and the twins went into a mock brawl and Kalei got to her guitar, Ian was warmly welcomed, and like Freedom with Sequoia, he stuck close to Neti, suddenly, Kalei stopped playing, she appeared to be lost in thought

"Why'd you stop?" Anna asked, Kalei leaned over her guitar and replied

"I just thought of something," she turned to Nirka, "Nirka? Everyone here has mates, except for myself and the others, where's your mate?"

_Yeah, I was meaning to ask that._ Neti said

_When I told him I was pregnant, he was beyond furious and left me. _When Rocky and Ben heard this, they whimpered

_Daddy didn't want us? _Rocky asked in her shy, babyish voice

_No, but I do. We all do. I don't love your father anymore, but the rest of us will keep you safe._

Nobody forced Nirka to find a new mate, she preferred to stay the way she was, and Neti's pregnancy advanced, and every five days, Kalei would announce how much longer she had before giving birth. And sure enough, when all 36 days were over, Neti gave birth to six healthy babies, an even number of three boys and three girls. Their children were named Nathan (oldest), Miley (second born), Josh (third born), Kelly (fourth born), Adam, (fifth born) and the youngest, Mandy. They were all healthy and perfect, plus, they were really cute. They were born during the school year, but that didn't stop anyone from being there. Anna and Gabe fell in love with the baby raccoons and always played with them, Anna especially, she instantly fell in love with raccoons after they six babies were born.

* * *

**So, some new arrivals huh? And looks like Freedom and Sequoia are finally mates!**


	8. Chapter 7: Crazier

Chapter 7: Crazier

* * *

With the Spring Dance coming to their school, the High School began to prepare, and kids started going to every mall and store they could find a nice spring outfit for the dance. Boys started asking girls out and even the tomboys dressed up, Kalei on the other hand, said she wasn't much of a dancer and than she wasn't going. But her new friends from school Dylan and the animals struggled to convince her.

Eventually, a girl named Julie, one of Kalei's friends managed to convince her and helped her pick out a dress and a few other nice things for her to wear, she was going with Marshall, another nice guy from school and she helped Kalei out. She styled her hair for the dance, and when she released her hair from it's ponytail in front of everyone, everyone gasped, and beautiful auburn brown hair fell in a wavy brown waterfall down her back

"Why don't you ever let your hair down more often Kalei? It's beautiful!"

"I've told you this million times before Julie, I'm a tomboy and I've been planning on cutting my hair!"

"Are you insane! This is perfect! I know exactly what I'll do!" With the help of Ivy, Miranda, and Edith, the girls managed to fit Kalei into a beautiful lacey white and brown dress, fit for an eagle, her hair was held back by a toothed headband with an eagle pinned to it, her necklace was pulled out, she was fitted into some comfortable sandals and a charm bracelet she never wore.

"You look great! You had all this hidden beauty in you and you never realized it! But first, if you're gonna dance, you probably practice just a little bit."

"With who?"

"Dylan. We know you two like each other and the other girls at school are going gaga over him. You two are a perfect fit."

"How do you know that?"

"We just do."

"Come on, just practice a little bit!"

"Oh all right, I'll do it." The girls squealed lightly

"Yay!"

The girls got back downstairs and Kalei blushed as Dylan laid eyes on her. When she faced him, everyone else left to give them some time alone. Marcie, another girl gave him her i-Pod to borrow and he found the perfect song that he was going to request to be played at the dance. Taylor Swift's 'Crazier'.

He hit the "Play" button, and guitar music began to play, and immediately Kalei's nerves began to relax, and the music soothed, and Dylan just took her away, and turns out, another hidden talent was revealed, Kalei was an excellent dancer. Dylan teased her

"And you said you weren't good." Kalei blushed again.

Once Kalei got the hang of it, Neti, Freedom and Sequoia tagged along.

When they got there, everything looked so nice, but Kalei didn't go and dance with Dylan like everyone else was, instead, she sat down at one of the chairs propped up against a wall and Freedom, Sequoia, Neti and Dylan joined her. Other flirty and romantic songs played, but none of them were a tempting, Kalei felt a little better, but not as better as she had felt before.

She sat there for a few more minutes before Dylan stood up he said he was going to talk to his friend, who just so happened to be the DJ, Kalei shrugged and suddenly, just a few minutes after Dylan left, the same song from back at the lodge began to play. Kalei jerked her head up, cracking her neck in the process

* Pop *

"Ow!' Kalei rubbed her neck and a shadow stood over her, it was Dylan, he held out his hand and said

"Wanna dance?" At first, Kalei was going to say no, but she stopped herself and reluctantly stood up, taking Dylan's hand. They got into the same position that they had back at the lodge and they let the music carry them away. Finally, as the song ended, they did something they never though they would do.

They. Kissed.

They kissed for nearly 10 seconds before they broke away, of course, Dylan pulled her into it. Kalei looked at Freedom, Sequoia and Neti and, for the first time, Dylan and Kalei witnessed two eagles and a raccoon dumbstruck, they both started laughing when they saw their reactions, then, they really began to enjoy themselves, dancing and laughing until they felt like it time to go back to the lodge.

~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~

When she and Dylan kissed, she realized she really did like him, Hayden was right; maybe she was developing a crush on him. Freedom and the other animals congratulated her on what had happened after the song was finished back in the school. Thankfully, Hayden wasn't there, and Kalei made all of the animals swear they wouldn't tell her, but Neti said

_I had the growing suspicion you liked him and I was right! _

_Yeah, you were all right, I shouldn't have doubted myself, I really did have a great night, and I can't thank your guys enough._

* * *

**Looks like theres a bit of romance going on between those two, what else will they endure?**


	9. Chapter 8: Freedom

Chapter 8: Freedom

* * *

The end of the year was finally over and Dylan and Kalei celebrated making it through their first year of High School. But, Kalei finally had an idea she was desperate to share

"I think it's time to let Freedom and Sequoia back into the wild. After more than a year of staying with us, they're well recovered and healthy, it's time guys." Dylan hated to admit it, but he agreed

"I agree, but we'll see them again." Even as he said this, the two eagles came up to them

_What are you guys talking about? _Kalei took and deep breath and said

_You guys have been with us for more than much longer than a year, and since you guys are well recovered and healthy now, I think it's time we set you free._

The eagles were once again dumbstruck, but they knew it was right, they couldn't stay here forever. But Sequoia had to ask

_Why can't we stay here?_

_If you guys have kids of your own, in captivity, they rely more on us for food, and they won't feel the freedom you guys have been used to, it's just not safe for them. And plus, it's better out there in the wild, space to fly and be free, and they'll be able to learn skills to survive like you guys did, so they be able to catch food and find shelter. You guys need to teach them that. You get what I'm saying? But of course, when they're old enough, you can always bring them here so we can see them. Okay? But I'm worried about their safety. _Sequoia understood. Kalei wasn't saying they weren't allowed to come back, she was only saying that she was worried about the safety of the family's future

_I understand. _

_Hey, it'll be okay. You'll have a wonderful family one-day. I don't doubt that. _After a few more painful goodbyes, Kalei, and Dylan were given permission to climb on top of Mount Rushmore, and with the media, tourists and locals, who came to watch them being set free, they were ready.

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much. But I'll never forget you and I hope you'll never forget us."

_We won't Kalei, we won't._ Kalei took a deep breath, and with huge thrusts of their arms, the two eagles took to the sky. For just a moment, they hovered in front of Mount Rushmore, looking at their best friends, and with one last, pained look, the two of them looked at each other and flew away, as the people down below cheered and waved goodbye. Meanwhile, in the forest, the female eagles and their now grown hatchlings watched as Sequoia flew in sync with her new mate, they were wrong about her.

Kalei smiled at Dylan and parted her bangs away, tears gathered up in her eyes and one flowed down her cheek, she didn't even bother wipe it away, but she couldn't believe Freedom had gotten his mate that he wanted, and now, he was truly free once more. Now, he was really ready for the challenges ahead. Everyone was, and with his new mate, Sequoia at his side, he could overcome any of those challenges ahead.

* * *

**So, Freedom and Sequoia are at last given their freedom, what will be the first of their many challenges ahead?**


End file.
